Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Women On The Front Lines In Ukraine

Tough: This rebel was among the fighters to take part in the battle for Donetsk's Sergey Prokofiev airport

The Warrior Women Of Ukraine: Posing With Their Tanks And Machine Guns, Meet The Ordinary Mothers Taking Up Arms On BOTH Sides Of The Civil War -- Daily Mail

* Both rebels and Ukrainian government forces boast female fighters
* Many have been killed during the conflict which is now in its seventh month
* The conflict was triggered when President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted
* Vicious fighting in and around Donetsk has claimed 3,660 lives so far
* Included in the total are the 298 people who died in the Flight MH17 disaster

Before fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine, Irina was a croupier in a casino who never dreamt of taking up arms. Now she is gambling with her life.

Using the nom de guerre 'Gaika', a cartoon character that translates as Gadget, she has joined an artillery unit in a pro-Russian separatist group fighting government forces.

'When your home is being destroyed, everything that is dear to you, friends, work... It's about character,' she explains. 'Girls who go into combat are real Russian women.'

Read more ....

My Comment: A year ago no one thought this was possible .... including me.

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